Gene's Farewell
by Rachel L Driscoll
Summary: This is a quick one-shot showing Rachel's feelings when Eugene goes away to college for the first time. It is set after my story 'When Heath Came Along' and before 'The Angels are Singing'. AU


**Hi, this is just a quick one-shot I came up with when I watched the last episode Eugene's in - 'Barbary Red'. I decided to write a quick story describing Rachel's feelings when Eugene went to college for the first time. This would be set during the episode 'Forty Rifles' when Nick and Heath are on the trail. This story comes after my story 'When Heath Came Along' but before 'The Angels are Singing'. Enjoy!**

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**Gene's Farewell**

"I've got to go now," Gene said to Rachel as he held her close. He finally pulled himself out of her tight embrace. She was squeezing all she could get out of him, and she felt like something was ripped away from her as he left them standing there on the platform. He boarded the train, and leaned out of the window as the train began to move forward.

"Gene," Rachel sobbed quietly. "Gene!"

The train continued to chug away, further and further, until only its smoke could be seen – like Eugene's last goodbye signals to her.

She felt a hand touch her shoulder as Victoria gently comforted her – but she could barely see her when she looked searchingly into her face, for the tears that blinded her.

"Gene," she whispered. "Don't go!" She pulled herself out of Victoria's gentle grasp, and began to run along the platform after the departing engine. "Eugene!" she called desperately. "Eugene, don't leave me! I can't bear it without you!"

Jarrod took her by the arm. "Come on, let's go home."

She yanked herself out of his hold. "No!" she cried. "I want Eugene!"

"Eugene's gone now – come on."

Rachel continued to struggle whilst the tears poured down her face. Her brother, her friend, had gone. He had left her behind. It broke her heart into a million pieces.

Jarrod put an arm around Rachel and led her to the buggy. She tried to fight, though she didn't know why. What was the use? She could not reach Eugene now. He had gone. Each second they were farther and farther apart…

"Why did he have to go?" she found herself sobbing into Victoria's shoulder once the buggy had started. "Why did he leave me?"

"He hasn't left you, Rachel," Victoria said comfortingly. "He'll be back. He'll visit for vacations."

"It's not the same," Rachel declared, the tears glistening on her cheeks and making her eyes sparkle more than they usually would.

When they got home Rachel ran up to her room. She threw herself on her bed and sobbed. She cried gut-wrenching sobs. She hadn't cried like that since her father had died six years before. She poured all her grief into her pillow, burying her face into its folds to smother her cries.

That was when she heard the crackle of paper. She slowly sat up, looking for where the sound had come from – and there, peeking from the mounds of her pillows, was a little white envelope, a little bit creased from where she had lain. She grabbed it eagerly, recognizing at once her name in Gene's familiar, stylish hand. She turned the envelope over with trembling hands and tore it open, pulling out a sheet of white paper with the following words:

_Dear Mouse,_

_I hate to have to leave you behind – but rest assured, I'm not really leaving you. I'll be there for you, just the same as if I were really there in the flesh. I've left my heart with you, Mouse. Keep it close to yours, and I'll be back sooner than you know it. Just you wait and see, before you know it, we'll be off riding together, just like we always used to. We can get up to some of the old scrapes. Things won't be so very different. _

_I expect you to write to me and tell me all your news. It will make us feel like the distance between us is even less. _

_You probably found this letter after you had thrown yourself on your bed, crying. I wish I could be there to comfort you, but I think perhaps, in this way, I can still be there for you._

_I always said I'd be there for you, Mouse, and I'm not going to break that promise. I'm your brother, and you are my sister, and we'll always be there for each other. Miles are nothing, and days are nothing, because I love you, and I will always be with you in your heart - like you will always be in my heart._

_I love you, my little Mouse._

_Gene x_

Rachel held the letter close to her heart. In his own special way, Eugene had known how to comfort her. In that one letter, he had said a fond farewell – but it wasn't so much of a goodbye. It was more of a promise for the future – that it wasn't going to be so bleak after all. Rachel found herself smiling through her tears as she stared up at the ceiling, still clasping the letter close to her heart whilst she thanked God for giving her such a brother. Her heart didn't seem to ache anymore. Gene had known what to do. Rachel smiled, grateful for Gene's farewell.

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**Well, I hope you liked it. I'm almost finished writing my next BV story - so hopefully I'll starting posting soon! Please review! :-)**


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